other way around. Accordingly, we’ll be using the tradesman’s entrance at the rear of the House.”
Glaring at him, I couldn’t believe what he was saying. He landed with a thump in a poorly-lit back alley behind the main structure. He popped open the canopy and climbed out. I didn’t follow him.
“Miles,” I said, “you will immediately take me back to the front entrance.”
He poked his head back into the cab and looked at me.
“Unthinkable,” he said. “This is exactly the sort of thing that made your mother insist on my guidance. We’re not invited guests here, William. We represent the interests of House Sparhawk, yes, but—”
“I’m not walking in that door.”
Miles shook his head and sighed. He steepled his fingers and took on a pained expression as he readied himself to explain the harsh realities of the situation to me once again.
Two butlers in livery had caught sight of us by this time and were hastening out to help us from the air car. Miles turned and greeted them effusively.
That was the last straw for me. I’d suffered a great deal tonight, and it was getting late. I wasn’t in the mood for another moment of decorum and pretended humility.
Laying my hands on the controls, I flipped it into manual control mode. The stick slid neatly and automatically over to my side of the cab, and I pulled back on it.
Miles was left on the landing pad wearing a stunned expression. Matching him on either side were the two butlers, holding their felt caps to their heads and gaping up at me.
-6-
After a minute-long flight, I bumped down in front of the mansion on the very edge of the landing pad. Admittedly, it had been a few years since I’d flown an air car without a program to follow.
I popped open the canopy and climbed out. This time, the service people moved with much greater speed. They rushed toward my side. One of them carried a fire extinguisher.
“Sir?” asked the one with the extinguisher. “Has your vehicle malfunctioned?”
“No,” I said. “Please care for it. I’ll be needing it on my return journey.”
That said, I walked toward the house. Their eyes followed me in astonishment. Their mouths opened, but no words escaped until after I’d passed by. At that point, they whispered intensely amongst themselves.
Taking the oddly cut stone steps in single strides, despite the fact the steps were placed too widely apart for such treatment, I reached the towering front door.
At first, when faced by a door that had to be six meters tall and equally as wide, I was at a loss as how to enter. Then I saw the smaller door cut into the larger. I reached for a knocker made of what appeared to be dulled silver—but I suspected it was platinum or perhaps titanium.
Before my fingers could grasp it, the door creaked open. An elderly gentleman peered at me as if I were a stray dog.
“Can I help you, sir?” he asked.
“Yes, you can let me pass. I’m here to meet with the membership of House Astra. I’m a guardsman who’s been charged as an investigator—”
“Ah,” interrupted the elderly doorman. “I see. This is a misunderstanding. The appropriate entrance, sir, is around to the back. You’d best return to your vehicle, it’s nearly a kilometer-long walk.”
Feeling a flush come over me, I struggled to control an outburst.
“I’m William Sparhawk,” I said quietly, “of House Sparhawk. Are you refusing to allow me to enter?”
The doorman eyed me uncertainly. “One moment Mr. Sparhawk,” he said, and left me standing there.
A full minute passed, then another. During this time, I tried not to peek into the interior of the mansion but found myself drawn to do so. There were startling sights inside; I could see that from where I stood.
Paintings stood as tall as the door at which I’d been abandoned. Steps of polished onyx gleamed under a chandelier of translucent, custom-grown crystal.
Craning my neck a fraction, I caught sight of the doorman. He was talking
Glaring at him, I couldn’t believe what he was saying. He landed with a thump in a poorly-lit back alley behind the main structure. He popped open the canopy and climbed out. I didn’t follow him.
“Miles,” I said, “you will immediately take me back to the front entrance.”
He poked his head back into the cab and looked at me.
“Unthinkable,” he said. “This is exactly the sort of thing that made your mother insist on my guidance. We’re not invited guests here, William. We represent the interests of House Sparhawk, yes, but—”
“I’m not walking in that door.”
Miles shook his head and sighed. He steepled his fingers and took on a pained expression as he readied himself to explain the harsh realities of the situation to me once again.
Two butlers in livery had caught sight of us by this time and were hastening out to help us from the air car. Miles turned and greeted them effusively.
That was the last straw for me. I’d suffered a great deal tonight, and it was getting late. I wasn’t in the mood for another moment of decorum and pretended humility.
Laying my hands on the controls, I flipped it into manual control mode. The stick slid neatly and automatically over to my side of the cab, and I pulled back on it.
Miles was left on the landing pad wearing a stunned expression. Matching him on either side were the two butlers, holding their felt caps to their heads and gaping up at me.
-6-
After a minute-long flight, I bumped down in front of the mansion on the very edge of the landing pad. Admittedly, it had been a few years since I’d flown an air car without a program to follow.
I popped open the canopy and climbed out. This time, the service people moved with much greater speed. They rushed toward my side. One of them carried a fire extinguisher.
“Sir?” asked the one with the extinguisher. “Has your vehicle malfunctioned?”
“No,” I said. “Please care for it. I’ll be needing it on my return journey.”
That said, I walked toward the house. Their eyes followed me in astonishment. Their mouths opened, but no words escaped until after I’d passed by. At that point, they whispered intensely amongst themselves.
Taking the oddly cut stone steps in single strides, despite the fact the steps were placed too widely apart for such treatment, I reached the towering front door.
At first, when faced by a door that had to be six meters tall and equally as wide, I was at a loss as how to enter. Then I saw the smaller door cut into the larger. I reached for a knocker made of what appeared to be dulled silver—but I suspected it was platinum or perhaps titanium.
Before my fingers could grasp it, the door creaked open. An elderly gentleman peered at me as if I were a stray dog.
“Can I help you, sir?” he asked.
“Yes, you can let me pass. I’m here to meet with the membership of House Astra. I’m a guardsman who’s been charged as an investigator—”
“Ah,” interrupted the elderly doorman. “I see. This is a misunderstanding. The appropriate entrance, sir, is around to the back. You’d best return to your vehicle, it’s nearly a kilometer-long walk.”
Feeling a flush come over me, I struggled to control an outburst.
“I’m William Sparhawk,” I said quietly, “of House Sparhawk. Are you refusing to allow me to enter?”
The doorman eyed me uncertainly. “One moment Mr. Sparhawk,” he said, and left me standing there.
A full minute passed, then another. During this time, I tried not to peek into the interior of the mansion but found myself drawn to do so. There were startling sights inside; I could see that from where I stood.
Paintings stood as tall as the door at which I’d been abandoned. Steps of polished onyx gleamed under a chandelier of translucent, custom-grown crystal.
Craning my neck a fraction, I caught sight of the doorman. He was talking
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